Joia was the first to break the silence. Smiling sweetly at the lioness who obviously didn’t like her, she looked to the leopardess. ”You are familiar with the roguelands, yes?” she asked in her breathless voice, eyes bright. ”Come. Let me treat you to something.” It would be amusing, to see the arrogant lioness who was glaring at her on the effects of the drug. She had it once before. And it had been… well, it had been fun. With Balthier with her, she doubt there would be any harm to it. ”Come, let us four talk while drinking spiced water and trying out this special stuff,” she laughed, herding the leopardess. The brown lioness reluctantly followed. Balthier closed in behind them, walking with his mind wandering.

Joia had no idea where she was going. And Miyala was getting quite worked up. When they came to the same den with the strange stones hanging from the top of the threshold, the dragon finally snapped. ”You have no idea where you want to take us, do you?” she growled, fur bristling. She really couldn’t contain her jealous and the sultry laugh that came from the dark female just raised her hackles more.

”Not at all!” she agreed happily, before glancing at the leopardess and lioness. ”But I will know once I see it. And a place such as this is bound to have it!” she enthused. Balthier rolled his eyes. So the seasa wanted to play at being intuitive, did she? Well, he would let her. He knew that Joia had overhead another group talking about iboga. He disapproved of going to it but he really couldn’t stop the demon. Not when he was just a demon himself.

After several more minutes, they finally found the odd den, with a makeshift canopy reaching past the front of the den. Spots under the shade were taken, though Munyu stiffly pointed out a tree just a little distance away. Munyu knew what the demon was looking for as soon as she saw the vervets darting about with banana leaves. And highly disapproved. She would have to prevent the stubborn brown lioness from trying some, somehow. Perhaps the vervets would not think of them as customers with that bit of distance.

As they settled under the tree, her hope was dashed as a vervet ran up. Balthier immediately spoke before the demon could, though his eyes were hard on the dark lioness.

”We’ll only be having for one,” he spoke. Joia gave him an amused look before rolling her shoulders in a shrug and dishing out a bit of gems she had been saving up. She wasn’t as popular of a seasa to live richly but she had enough. And one leaf of iboga wouldn’t break her. She hadn’t thought about how she would have paid for four. Once that was sorted away, Joia leaned forward eagerly.

”Please. Tell me about the rogue lands,” she encouraged before her eyes swung to Miyala. ”And Dov Strunmah,” she added eagerly. Balthier sighed. The girl was too curious for her own good.

A prickling between his shoulders caused him to look up and around. There were a lot of vervets. A lot of lions with other species mixed in here and there. Nothing seemed out of place. Except… His eyes glanced around again, before spotting a set of eyes staring at him. At them. A look of… determination? It was a tan lioness. A gentle looking thing. He frowned at her, letting her know that he saw her watching and didn’t like it. She simply inclined her head and looked back to her other companions. Three others, it seemed. He watched her for several moments longer, watching as she occasionally glanced back at them. He didn’t even realize he was being talked to until Joia nudged him. The other two were looking at him, one skeptical, the other in shock.

”I was telling them how nice it was for your mistress to let you come with me,” Joia explained cheerfully. But Balthier caught the twinkle in her eyes. So. She was going to try and drill information out of him this way. He shrugged.

”You’re a slave,” Miyala blurted out in disgust. Munyu passed her a look, shaking her head.

”Sador,” he automatically replied before frowning at the seasa next to him that was grinning away. Conniving little thing. And she had been so cute as a cub, too. Unlike the rest of the demons. Balthier sighed. No, she was a demon through and through. Just… different methods.

”I sent word to her via a… friend. As I was leaving,” he said decidedly. And let it drop there.

Except, apparently, Joia wasn’t going to let it drop. Her jaw hung and a look of concern crossed her expression. Balthier almost laughed. Joia thought he was going to get in trouble. Sure, he was. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as it would have been before the reformation. Sadors weren’t treated as badly now.

”Oh, Balthier,” she breathed, company forgotten. ”You aren’t going to- She isn’t-,” she swallowed. ”Will you be alright? Oh, I should haven’t pressured you into coming with me,” Joia ended up saying, chewing the inside of her cheek.

Miyala wasn’t about to be ignored, however. ”So, your mistress is a woman,” she said in a deadpanned voice. There was a look of disappointment in her eyes.

Miyala was certainly disappointed. Finding out that the potential sire to her children was a slave and had a female for a mistress. She valued the strength in woman. And knew that there were plenty that could best males. However, the father of her children would be better than all else. What a disappointment.

Munyu shook her head. ”Sent a messenger to deliver the news,” she mumbled under her breath and winced. Even in a normal situation, that was a bad idea. Very offensive. How cowardly.

Balthier gave the three females an exasperated look. He was not about to explain his situation with these three. He wanted to laugh at the looks. Joia full of concern. Munyu full of disappointment. And Miyala looking utterly disgusted.

He was set to change the topic when he saw the female watcher from afar pick herself up from her spot, making her way towards them. The three males in her company followed suit. Alertness shot through him, muscles tensing. What could they want?

w.c.: 1,071